Objective. To establish signalment and phenomenology of canine idiopathic head tremor syndrome (IHTS), an episodic head\nmovement disorder of undetermined pathogenesis. Design. Retrospective case series. Animals. 291 dogs with IHTS diagnosed\nbetween 1999 and 2013. Procedures. Clinical information was obtained from an online community of veterinary information\naggregation and exchange (Veterinary Information Network, 777 W Covell Boulevard, Davis, CA 95616) and conducted with\ntheir approval. Information on breed, sex, age of onset, tremor description, mentation during the event, effect of distractions and\ndrugs, diagnostics, presence of other problems, and outcome was analyzed. Results. IHTS was found in 24 pure breeds. Bulldogs,\nLabrador Retrievers, Boxers, and Doberman Pinschers comprised 69%; mixed breeds comprised 17%. Average onset age was 29\nmonths (range: 3 months to 12 years). First episode occurred before 48 months of age in 88%. Vertical (35%), horizontal (50%),\nand rotational (15%) movements were documented. Possible trigger events were found in 21%. Mentation was normal in 93%.\nDistractions abated the tremor in 87%. Most dogs did not respond to antiepileptic drugs. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance. This\nretrospective study documents IHTS in many breeds including Labrador Retrievers, Boxers, and mixed breeds.
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